Minno: a ministry for kids

by Warren L. Maye

“Abide (Minno) in me and I will abide in you”
(John 15:4)

“Daddy, do I have Type 1 Diabetes because of original sin?”

With this innocent but informed question, the 2–year–old daughter of business entrepreneur Erick Goss helped him realize the depth to which children can take Scripture seriously, even though most parents assume their kids are too young and immature to listen and understand.

“I recognized that for a lot of folks, especially new believers at our church, the single biggest issue was, how do we help kids understand their faith?  In many cases, the parents themselves weren’t really getting the faith teaching they needed,” said Goss.

So, this veteran, who started his career in the Navy as a helicopter pilot, who later became a spokesperson at the Pentagon, and who went to business school and joined Amazon about six months after it went public, decided to take a tactical turn in his career.

“I grew up spiritually at the Naval Academy with the Navigators (a Christian ministry) and so I got a solid discipleship background. When I was in Seattle, Wash., I helped plan a church. Working on Capitol Hill, forced me to think through, OK, how do we really communicate faith?

Businessman and father

So, by adapting his experience as a businessman and as a loving father, Goss launched Minno, a kids’ media and tech company that helps families experience Jesus on and off the screen. “We are making screen time count by curating and creating shows, books, and resources that put kids first and support families,” says the mastermind behind Amazon’s global eBook business.

“The only thing that exists like what we’re doing is “Veggie Tales,” which has been popular for decades. What I recognize is that it’s so hard for creatives if they’ve got a passionate idea to get something to market because they don’t know how to get to the audience,” says CEO Goss.

“Christian retail used to be how people discovered products. Since that went away, it’s almost impossible to discover new Christian children’s products. As a marketer, I know how much it takes to build awareness.”

Goss believes it’s time to create an economy in the ecosystem for Christian children. That belief led to the creation of a digital platform that could serve parents where they would find what’s in the Bible through “Veggie Tales” and every other Christian media tool they needed.

“I think a lot of people tend to underestimate the power media has on kids’ lives. So, we’ve also produced The Third Parent, a book which basically talks about how media plays the role of a third parent,” says Goss.

Today, Minno has expanded its slate of original shows to meet audience demand. “Each show is developed with world–class creators who are committed to high–quality, faith–filled, and engaging content,” Goss says.

Originals available on the Minno app

  • “Cocoa Talk”: featuring Cocoa, an animated cup of hot chocolate, and his sidekick marshmallow sister, Marsha. Together, they teach object lessons around Easter, Christmas, and life lessons.
  • “Minno Church At Home”: 54 episodes designed for kids to worship while at home.
  • “Minno 5 Second Parables”: animated Biblical parables that illustrate the meaning in 5 seconds or less.
  • “Minno’s Hopeful Easter”: a three–episode Easter experience for families centered around Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Resurrection Sunday.
  • “The Minno Day Show”: an interactive experience anchored by a Bible verse and word of the day.
  • “5 Minute Family Devotionals”: 125 turn–key video devotionals for kids and grown–ups to use together anytime, anywhere.

New series in development 

  • “Micah’s Super Vlog”: an animated series centered on 10-year-old Micah and his friends as they navigate real–life situations with big imaginations and hilarious predicaments.
  • “God’s Greenhouse”: a pre–K series featuring music and Bible stories with the greenhouse friends.
  • “Jemma vs. the Kitchen”: a live-action sitcom following Jemma’s cooking adventures for 8–year–old children and up.

Shows will be available on Minno’s cornerstone streaming platform, Minno Kids, which includes more than 125 unique shows and thousands of episodes. Minno Kids is available on streaming platforms and in all app stores. Parents can also bring the on–screen content full circle with off–screen content on the Minno Life blog, which prompts conversations or carries lessons over with activities and practical guidance.

The Minno app, available on all platforms, includes 2,600 episodes in 125 shows, including 100 original “5 Minute Family Devotionals.” Minno’s “Life Parent Resources” offers blogs, “Life Guides” on key topics, activity packs and downloads, as well as the Minno “Raising Boys and Girls Podcast.” Minno Kids Publishing offers the children’s Bible, the Minno Laugh & Grow Bible.

Learn more at: www.gominno.com.

For new and upcoming originals, Click here.